AED saves first life at Yui-rail Akamine station

Starting June 20 this year, the company operating Okinawa’s urban monorail, known as Yui-rail installed automated external defibrillators (AED) on all of its 15 stations.

In July, the devide4s proved their value when passers-by found a man passed out near the Yuirail Akamine Station, and used the device to revive the victim of an apparent heart stroke. The man is recovering in a hospital.

It was the first time in Okinawa that the AED on a monorail station saved someone’s life. Fire station officials in Naha said that if they didn’t have the AED at the station, the man had not been able to survive.

The incident happened on July 26th in the afternoon, the victim was driving this scooter, and while he was waiting at a traffic signal close to the intersection by the Akamine station, he passed out. Junichiro Komura on his way home, said heard a strange noise and noticed someone lying down on the ground, and called the emergency number.

Aiki Nariyama, assisted by JASDF member Yuzi Nozaki administered heart massage as the first aid the fallen man. A worker at the Akamine Station who just had had a lesson on using the AED brought the device to the scene, and used it to save the victim’s life.

An ambulance arrived in seven minutes and took the vistim man to a hospital in Tomishiro City. Although he reins hospitalized, he said that “I really appreciate people who helped to saves my life.”